The Pac-12 picture is already shifting as Week 4 arrives, and a few teams are starting to separate themselves while others are sliding fast. Boise State still sits alone at the top, Oregon State keeps pressing from No. 2, and Fresno State made the week’s biggest climb after a rivalry win.
On the other end, SDSU took the steepest tumble after a rough home loss, while Washington State nudged back in the right direction with a needed win over Duquesne. With conference play set to begin in Week 5, this is the last stretch for teams to clean things up before the real race starts.
Boise State remains No. 1 despite a 38-24 win over FCS opponent South Dakota that was anything but tidy. The Broncos didn’t exactly look sharp, but they avoided the kind of loss that can wreck a season and still own the conference’s strongest early résumé.
A narrow loss to Oregon, plus wins over Memphis and South Dakota, keeps Boise State in front for now. The next test is a serious one: a trip to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan, a game that carries College Football Playoff implications.
Western Michigan is 2-1, or 3-0 if you count the Michigan game as a win, and Boise State will need to bring a win back home if it wants to hold its place in the CFP conversation.
Oregon State stays right behind the Broncos at No. 2 after its first win of the season, a 52-17 dismantling of Montana. The Beavers’ passing game was electric again, with Braden Atkinson throwing for 333 yards and five touchdowns.
That kind of performance has Oregon State knocking on the door of the top spot and looking every bit like a team that can chase a Pac-12 title. Week 4 sends the Beavers to UTEP, where they’ll need to prove they can carry that form onto the road.
UTEP is 1-2, and this is a clean chance for Oregon State to show that last week wasn’t a one-off.
Fresno State made the biggest leap, jumping from No. 5 to No. 3 after a 26-10 rivalry win over San Jose State. The Bulldogs’ defense did the heavy lifting, grabbing four interceptions and holding San Jose State to 10 points.
Even with the jump, there are still real questions around Fresno State’s offense and whether it can keep the Bulldogs in the Pac-12 title mix. A road game at Rice comes next, and it’s the final chance to sharpen things up before Week 5 brings Pac-12 play and a matchup with WSU.
Colorado State holds steady at No. 4 after a 41-23 home loss to No. 9 BYU.
The bigger concern may be the quarterback situation, because the Rams finished with their third-string signal-caller after injuries to Hauss Hejny and backup K’saan Farrar. Getting Hejny back healthy is going to matter a lot if Colorado State really wants to contend for the conference title.
Jim Mora’s team now heads to UTSA for its first road game of the season, and that matchup should tell us plenty. UTSA beat Texas State 31-26 in Week 2, so this is another chance for the Rams to prove they can win away from home.
Washington State moves up a spot to No. 5 after a much-needed 48-7 win over FCS opponent Duquesne. After opening 0-2, the Cougars finally got themselves moving in the right direction, and the offense did enough to keep the panic level down for now.
There’s still work to do, though, if WSU wants to be a real factor at the top of the league. Arizona comes to town this week for the Cougars’ final nonconference game, and the offense will be under the microscope again before Pac-12 play begins in Week 5.
SDSU falls all the way to No. 6 after a 26-13 home loss to James Madison. The Aztecs’ offense has been a problem through three weeks, and last year’s defense doesn’t look quite like itself either.
Their final nonconference game sends them to Toledo, and it feels like a must-win if they want any momentum heading into league play. Toledo gave up 48 points to Temple last week, so this is another chance to see whether SDSU’s offense can finally take a step forward.
Texas State stays at No. 7 after earning its first win of the season, a 49-35 victory over North Texas. The Bobcats can score with anybody, but the defensive issues remain hard to ignore. Incarnate Word visits San Marcos in Week 4 for Texas State’s FCS game, and that matchup will be another chance to see whether the defense can keep an opponent from piling up points as the Bobcats build toward Pac-12 play.
Utah State rounds out the rankings at No. 8 after a 33-0 loss to rival Utah. The Aggies are 0-3, and not much has gone right in Logan so far this season.
In Other News...
WSU Faces An Early Test Against A Coach Who Knows Pullman Well
Arizonas Brent Brennan enters the matchup with Washington State carrying more than a typical opponents scouting report. The Wildcats coach has known Cougars defensive coordinator Trent Bray for a long time, and their shared history stretches back through past coaching stops together. That familiarity adds a personal layer to a game that already figures to tell Arizona plenty about where Washington State stands early in the season.
Brennan also made clear he has spent time studying what Washington State wants to do on offense, with particular attention on the running game and the way the Cougars build their attack. From Arizonas side, the challenge is straightforward: prepare for a scheme Brennan knows will demand discipline, especially against a team that can lean on the ground game to set the tone. For Washington State, it is another early chance to show its identity against a coach who understands the personnel and the place as well as anyone. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces Three Washington State Threats That Could Decide Pullman
Brent Brennan knows the trip to Pullman rarely comes with easy answers, and Arizonas third-year coach pointed to the usual road-game variables as the Wildcats prepare to face Washington State. The Cougars bring a few especially tricky matchup pieces into the game, starting with Woods, whose running style can turn a routine carry into a long gain and force a defense to stay alert for the explosive play.
Pinnick has also given Washington State a steadier presence at quarterback, giving the Cougars a more complete look on offense, while Thomas adds value in more than one phase with his work on defense and in punt returns. For Arizona, the challenge is not just slowing one threat but accounting for all three without letting the game tilt in Pullmans favor. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces A Real Test In The Matchups That Could Decide Saturday
Brent Brennan and Trent Bray know each other well enough to make Saturdays meeting feel a little different than a typical Pac-12-style chess match, but the real interest for Washington State fans is in how Arizona handles the pressure points that have defined this matchup study all week. The Wildcats are trying to sort through offensive line adjustments while also protecting their quarterback against a defense that is expected to bring heat, and those questions usually tell you plenty about how a game will unfold.
Arizona also has to figure out its own approach at quarterback, because the Cougars are going to have answers of their own on the other side of the ball. The matchup breakdown points to a game shaped less by big-picture narratives than by a few critical snaps up front, where protection, pressure and decision-making could decide which team leaves with the edge. [Read more 🡒]